11 In fact glucocorticoids, which are released from the adrenal gland into the bloodstream during stress, enter the brain through the blood-brain barrier and are distributed throughout different areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus.70 selleck glucocorticoids do interact with neurons and astrocytes in those specific areas and produce changes, both at the functional neurotransmitter Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and anatomic

levels.12,71,72 Of special relevance for aging of the brain are the effects mediated by glucocorticoids in the hippocampus,11,73 where they seem to be neurotoxic, affecting neuronal energy balance and the neuronal substrates for learning and memory.73 Moreover, the reduction in the number of neurons in this area of the brain produced by glucocorticoids has been correlated with a decline in cognitive functions.74 Interestingly, environmental enrichment is effective in attenuating the increases Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of glucocorticoids produced by acute stress in the prefrontal cortex of adult rats.1,11 Recent experimental findings are relevant

for further understand the chronic effects of stress and glucocorticoids, with particular implications for the aged Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical brain. Up until recently the deleterious effects of glucocorticoids, particularly in the hippocampus, were mainly ascribed to the effects mediated by their elevated levels Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical that result as a consequence of acute stress, rather than to chronic increases in the basal levels of these steroids. However, we and others have proposed that a permanent increase of the “basal” levels of glucocorticoids that results from a stressful lifestyle could also contribute to the neuronal damage that occurs in the these areas of the brain during aging.11,71 Conclusions Aging is a highly complex process influenced by a large number of factors that vary from individual to individual. It is clear that many factors, including controlling the amount of food we ingest as well as the components of our diet, the incorporation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of aerobic physical activity

into our daily routine, and the attenuation of stress, are essential components for a successful aging of the brain. As reviewed here, aging of the brain Unoprostone is a process that is not only intrinsic to the neuronal mechanisms within the brain but also influenced by important hormones and neuromodulators that are released from peripheral organs and endocrine glands. Especially relevant in this context are the glucocorticoid hormones. During aging and with a chronic stressful lifestyle, corticosterone in rats or Cortisol in humans could potentially change the function of specific neuronal circuits in the brain. These effects could be modulated and attenuated in animals living in enriched environmental conditions, which emphasizes the importance of lifestyles in maintaining health during aging of the brain.